APSIG newsletter no. 63: November 2007

East Timor faces the future

The UNESCO/Timor-Leste Museum-to- Museum partnership was launched on 11 and 12 December 2006 at a seminar hosted by the University of Melbourne. This program was developed under the UNESCO Programme for the Preservation of Endangered Movable Cultural Properties, and is supported by the University of Melbourne's Centre for Cultural Conservation and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, although it is also seeking involvement from other Australian cultural institutions.

It aims to support the East Timorese in managing their cultural heritage, particularly by providing skills training and capacity building and opportunities for engagement and exchanges between East Timorese cultural heritage staff and their equivalents in Australia.

As part of this programme, 15 Timorese delegates were in Australia viewing a variety of museums and attending workshops. They included staff of the Ministry of Education and Culture, an historian, and staff and students of the Peace University (UNPAZ) in Dili.

The seminar was intended as an opportunity for them to prepare and present formal papers at a professional level as part of their training. Interestingly, all the papers were presented in Indonesian (with simultaneous translation provided by the University of Melbourne's Asian Studies students) rather than in Tetun or Portuguese, the official languages of East Timor. It seems Indonesian is still the language most Timorese feel most confident using in educational or professional settings.

A brief history of museums in East Timor was given by Mrs. Cecilia Assis, Director of Museums and Culture. A museum may have existed in Portuguese times, housed in the old Portuguese barracks - records are unclear. What is certain is that many items of cultural importance were removed and are now in museums abroad. The Japanese occupation destroyed many historic buildings and also removed items of significance. A museum was established during the Indonesian period, but following the referendum in 1999 and ensuing militia violence the museum was attacked, looted and the building damaged. About 700 items were salvaged but are now kept in very unsatisfactory conditions in the basement of a building belonging to the Ministry of Culture and Education. There is no detailed inventory, nor has conservation or restoration work been done. There is currently debate on whether to restore the old museum building but the preference is to build a completely new museum to international standards if funds are available. There is also the intention to establish several regional museums or cultural centres in the districts.

There are also other challenges apart from the lack of funding, particularly the skills required to maintain a museum, and the absence of any cultural heritage protection legislation. The need to build capacity and skills was echoed by many of the other speakers - the Timorese are very sensibly aware that this must be tackled well before the museum itself is built. The Timorese are also very conscious of the necessity of community involvement and educational outreach programs, as the museum will need a support base to survive. There are other unique challenges as well, as so much of Timorese cultural heritage is intangible. As an example, historian Antonio Vicente Soares gave an entertaining insight into courtship rituals and the secret language of plants employed by lovers. There are also numerous sacred and historical sites. How are these to be represented in a museum? And in order to collect oral histories, there are issues such as the difficulties of travelling to remote locations, the need to make ritual sacrifices and to select auspicious days before interviewing spiritual leaders. And as many sacred objects are kept in ritual houses (uma-lulik) within villages and are still an important part of village life, should the museum acquire these or display only replicas? Should East Timor seek repatriation of articles from international museums?

Three young students from the Peace University also commented very critically on the shortcomings of the educational system in teaching Timorese history and culture. What was most impressive was their obvious deep love of and pride in their country and its traditions and desire to learn more. They saw the establishment of a national museum as an important step toward improving this but would also like support for affiliated resources such as libraries to provide a firm basis for further research and education. They would be very interested in assistance but many had felt constrained contacting overseas institutions because of the language issue as many are not very comfortable using English, and are far more fluent in Indonesian or Portuguese.

The seminar revealed that the Timorese are very realistic about the extent of the challenges facing them in preserving their cultural heritage, yet they remain dedicated and enthusiastic. More information on the Programme and the seminar can be found at: http://www.culturalconservation.unimelb.edu.au/events/museum-to-museum.html

(Anya Dettman, National Library of Australia)